Defective Products Archive

Toyota Recall: Speed and Greed?

January 28th, 2010. By janem

Perhaps car makers, Toyota in particular, should figure out how crash test dummies can work a worn gas pedal–it might have saved lives. The latest accelerator recall is none too soon: In March 2007 Toyota began receiving reports that pedals were operating roughly or were slow to return to the idle position in the Tundra pickup, and again in December 2008, similar problems with its Aygo and Yaris models.

Toyota reported the Tundra problem was fixed in February 2008 and said it lengthened a part and changed the material to fix Aygo and Yaris, starting in August 2009. But the world’s largest auto maker recently seems to be plagued with even bigger problems.

On its website, Toyota says that “certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position…it can occur when the pedal mechanism becomes worn and, in certain conditions, the accelerator pedal may become harder to depress, slower to return or, in the worst case, stuck in a partially depressed position.”  YIKES!

Just months ago, the company recalled of 4.2 million vehicles due to its gas pedals getting trapped under floor mats, causing sudden acceleration. Several crashes, including a number of fatalities, prompted that recall. This recent recall involves eight models affecting more than 2.3 million vehicles.

Toyota has one of the best track records for building safe cars, so why has it gone off the rails-or I should say, assembly line? Perhaps greed is a component. Analysts say the company’s former president, Katsuaki Watanabe, was a cost-cutting expert with an aggressive growth strategy that landed Toyota into the Number 1 global sales spot two years ago, beating out General Motors.

Wanna know what happened to Watanabe? In 2006, the Japanese government launched a criminal investigation into accidents suspected of being linked to vehicle problems, though nobody was charged. Watanabe later acknowledged overzealous growth was behind the quality problems.

Last year, Watanabe was replaced by Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota’s founder. I bet Toyoda is pissed.

Toyota predicts that 2.19 million vehicles will be sold in North America in 2010, up 11 per cent from 2009. Globally, Toyota said it was planning sales of 8.27 million vehicles this year, up 6 per cent from 2009. But those targets might need to be tweaked somewhat…

Tags: defective auto, Toyota, toyota recall
Posted in Defective Products | 2 Comments »

Trust in China Should be Toppled in Similar Fashion

January 28th, 2010. By Hunter West

Okay, so China has had its problems with heparin and toothpaste, lead in kid’s toys and tires, cribs and pet food. But you can’t argue with the fact that the Republic of China is an economic powerhouse already and if you’re a manufacturer, you can’t argue with the cheap cost of labor. 

They’re talking about having cars built in China now. 

If that’s just fine by you, take a few minutes and study the picture here—that’s an apartment building lying down. On its side. Intact. It happened in June while workers were attempting to add an underground (and under building) garage. According to reports, one worker died in the collapse. And as ChinaDaily.com reported, “Improper construction methods are believed to be the reason of last Saturday’s building collapse in Shanghai, according to a report from the investigation team”. Really?

Are you shaking your head yet? This a country that wants to build our cars? Vehicles that will carry our children, our spouses, ourselves? Vehicles that could fail, at a moment’s notice and take out other cars on the road carrying innocent people? 

I don’t think so. 

The building collapse from last June is yet another example of the apparent greed on the part of the Chinese, so Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: China, Chinese exports
Posted in Defective Products | No Comments »

Biggest News from Detroit Car Show: Driving’s Become a Distraction

January 15th, 2010. By Hunter West

Get ready for a new round of lawsuits everybody. Because the nation’s roadways are about to become a lot more dangerous. 

Consider this statement from an automotive industry engineer: 

“Customers are expecting more and more, especially business people who expect to find in the car what they find in their smart phone,” said Mathias Halliger, the chief engineer for Audi’s multimedia interface systems, in comments published in the New York Times last week. “We should give them the same or a better experience.” 

Experience? 

Really… 

Let’s get one thing straight. Driving is not a video game. Driving is not a virtual ‘experience’. Driving is being in control of a hurtling goliath of metal weighing several tons hurtling down a road shared by other vehicles, or pedestrians hurrying across an intersection. Kids on bikes. Old men with their walkers. 

It’s bad enough that car stereos are more complex, now that you can plug your iPod or mp3 player into the system. Now there are GPS systems that serve to distract drivers even further from the task at hand—which is driving safely. 

Many states and cities have banned talking on a cell phone unless a Bluetooth or other hands-free device is used. Texting while driving is so stupid; its stupidity is a foregone conclusion. That’s been banned too, in many areas across the country. As the bans step up, safety advocates have been breathing a sigh of relief. 

Well for them—and for the rest of us—this horror movie has just become a whole lot scarier, with automotive Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Audi, Auto Accidents, Car Accidents, Car Crash, Ford
Posted in Accidents, Defective Products | 2 Comments »

Zhu Zhu Pooh-Poohed

December 10th, 2009. By Hunter West

They’re easily the hottest item on children’s wish list this year: The Zhu Zhu Hamsters. Every kid wants ‘Chunk,’ or ‘Pipsqueek,’ or ‘Num Nums’ under the tree this year. They are the 2009 version of Tickle-Me-Elmo, or the Cabbage Patch Dolls of years gone by. They’re not expensive, retailing for $8 to $10 each. But that’s if you can find them. There’s been a rush to buy them, the US-based manufacturer has cranked up production in China and opportunists—sensing a wave—have bought them up by the box load and have put them up on eBay selling for up to four or five times what they’re worth at retail. 

Little wonder. Did I mention Tickle-Me-Elmo? When your kid wants something sooooooooo badly, and between you and Santa nary a Zhu Zhu can be found, the internet may be your only savior. And there’s no price too high to delight your little girl, or boy Christmas morning. 

The big difference between the Tickle-Me-Elmo phenomenon and this time was the allegation from a consumer watchdog that the Zhu Zhu hamsters are unsafe. GoodGuide, a not-for-profit group with ties to the University of California at Berkeley, rocked the must-have toy world last Friday with allegations that testing done on ‘Mr. Squiggles,’ the light-brown member of the Zhu Zhu quartet, Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: China, Defective Product, Zhu Zhu
Posted in Defective Products | No Comments »

Got Knauf Defective Drywall? Get Filing

November 26th, 2009. By AbiK

It’s Thanksgiving, I know. But I also know it’s the type of morning when some of you are trolling the internet getting caught up on all the things you’ve missed over the past week or so. Here’s one you don’t want to miss if you’re dealing with Chinese drywall with “Knauf” stamped on it:

Homeowners who claim problems with defective drywall have until Dec. 2 to file papers for a national class action against Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin.

If you are a homeowner who’s been affected by Knauf defective drywall—and have proof that you have Knauf defective drywall in your home—and you meet the December 2nd deadline for filing a claim, you will be covered in the lawsuit to be filed December 9th.

All others affected by the Chinese drywall debacle are still urged to sumbit a claim—however, this deadline is specifically for those who have Knauf defective drywall in their homes.

Tags: chinese drywall, Knauf
Posted in Defective Products | No Comments »